A Conspiracy Foiled

I Kings 2:12-35

“Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly.” (I Kings 2:12)

With David’s having made it clear that Solomon was his choice for king, his death removed any doubt as to who the king should be.  The country was unified behind him.

“And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. 

And she said, Comest thou peaceably?

And he said, Peaceably.  He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. 

And she said, Say on. 

And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother's: for it was his from the LORD.  And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not.

 And she said unto him, Say on. 

And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife. 

And Bathsheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king.” (I Kings 2:13-18)

Just when everything seemed to be settling down, Adonijah approached Solomon’s mother to ask a favor.  Knowing he had tried to usurp the power and have her and Solomon killed, she didn’t trust him, but he was her husband’s son and she didn’t want to just ignore him.  He played on her sympathies, claiming that he had had the support of the people but that God gave it to Solomon instead, and asked her to do a favor for him.

When she asked what the favor was, he told her that he wanted her to ask Solomon to give him the girl who had taken care of his father to be his wife.  After all, Solomon wouldn’t dare tell his mother no, although he might well refuse to do it for Adonijah.

“Bathsheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand. 

Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say me not nay. 

And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay. 

And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife. 

And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.” (I Kings 2:19-22) 

Solomon had no intention of denying his mother anything, but when he heard her request, he realized she had no idea what Adonijah was up to.  She had been scammed.  Adonijah was considerably older than Solomon, and for him to take Abishag as his wife after her being known as David’s nurse and having slept with him would imply that Adonijah was the rightful ruler and that  Solomon had tricked David into having him declared king.  She just as well have asked Solomon to abdicate the throne in Adonijah’s favor, because with Abiathar and Joab’s support he might well split the kingdom or succeed in discrediting Solomon.

“Then king Solomon sware by the LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life.  Now therefore, as the LORD liveth, which hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day. 

And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him that he died.” (I Kings 2:23-25) 

In I Kings 1:52, Solomon had warned “…If he will show himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die.”  Another attempt to seize the throne clearly indicated he was not going to cooperate or accept God’s will.  To prevent him causing more trouble he had to be removed, just as it is sometimes necessary to put some one out of the church who refuses to do what is right.  Please understand this was not a minor offense but a full fledged attempt to seize control.

“And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.  So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.” (I Samuel 2:26-27) 

Abiathar and Joab had been privy to Adonijah’s request, and probably suggested it.  Because Abiathar had stood by David throughout his life, Solomon did not have him killed for treason, although he did strip him of the priest hood, fulfilling the prophecy about Eli’s family more than a hundred years before in I Samuel 2.
 
“Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. 

And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD; and, behold, he is by the altar. 

Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him. 

And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the LORD, and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. 

And he said, Nay; but I will die here. 

And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.” (I Kings 2:28-30) 

Knowing he was guilty of treason, Joab fled to the tabernacle for sanctuary, clinging to the brazen altar and refusing to take the punishment he deserved.  Unsure how he should handle it, Beniaiah went and told Solomon what happened.

“And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father.  And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.  Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the LORD. 

So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.” (I Kings 2:31-34) 

Joab had murdered two innocent men, using trickery, and Exodus 21:14 commanded, “But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.”  The tabernacle or church was not to provide sanctuary in such cases.  Solomon ordered Benaiah to kill him right where he was.  In doing so, he relieved himself and the land of Israel of their guilt in not punishing him.

I John 5:16-17 deals with the New Testament Church’s responsibility in such cases. “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.  All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.”  We are not even to ask God to save the lives of those who have committed sins requiring the death penalty under the law, such as murder, adultery, and sexual perversion.

“And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar.” (I Kings 2:35)

Solomon promoted Benaiah to chief general in Joab’s place, and made Zadok high priest in Abiathar’s place.